Friday, 4 November 2016

The Sign of Jonah and the Binding of Satan

With the Iraqi army currently undertaking an operation to take back the city of Mosul from ISIS, it is somewhat timely to discuss the importance of the Sign of Jonah in relation to Christ's discourse on the binding of Satan in the Gospels. The city of Mosul is situated on the site of ancient Nineveh - the location which is the central focus of the story of the Prophet Jonah, who was told by God to travel to the capital of Assyria to announce its impending destruction. As I detail in the new edition of my book, Unveiling the Apocalypse: The Final Passover of the Church, some theologians have forwarded the hypothesis that the reason the inhabitants of Nineveh were so receptive to Jonah's message of doom was because a solar eclipse had taken place over the city at around the same time the prophet had arrived to announce its fate.

The path of totality of the Bur-Sagale Eclipse, which is one of the most famous solar eclipses in ancient history, occurred just north of Nineveh on 15th June, 763BC during the reign of King Ashur-Dan III of Assyria, and was recorded for posterity in the Assyrian Eponym Canon - a series of cuneiform tablets discovered in the 19th century.

The path of totality of the Bur-Sagale Eclipse of 763BC

We know that the Prophet Jonah was a contemporary of King Ashur-Dan III because of a brief mention of him in the Second Book of Kings, which places his prophetic ministry during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel:

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.
(2Kings 14:23-25)

According to the chronology established by E.R. Thiele, Jeroboam II was sole ruler of Israel between the years 782-753BC, placing Jonah's active ministry to this time period; while Ashur-Dan III was king of Assyria between 772-755BC. Given the fact that this solar eclipse was one of the most noteworthy events to have occurred during the reign of Ashur-Dan III, it has prompted many theologians to suggest that the occurrence of the Bur-Sagale eclipse was the primary reason why the Ninevites were so keen to repent upon hearing Jonah's message of doom - a curious reaction which is left unexplained in the Book of Jonah itself. The Assyrian chronicles inform us that a plague had broken out in the city of Nineveh just a few years before the eclipse in 765BC, which was soon followed by an internal revolt which began during the very same year that the eclipse occurred - a series of events which would undoubtedly have been attributed to the wrath of the gods.

It therefore seems quite possible that when the Prophet Jonah had arrived in the midst of these calamities announcing the imminent destruction of Nineveh, the inhabitants were only too eager to listen - especially if his entrance into the city had been timed to coincide with the appearance of a total solar eclipse. As I attempt to show in the book, the appearance of the Prophet Jonah in Nineveh may have been recorded in an ancient inscription found in a cave in Kizkapan (or "Qyzqapan") near the city of Sulaimaniya in Iraq, around 200 miles away from Mosul/Nineveh itself.

The engraving in Kizkapan cave shows two figures laying down their weapons making gestures of peace, which takes place underneath the figure of a man depicted within the symbol of the sun undergoing an eclipse. The Russian archaeologist Igor Diakonov has proposed that this inscription records the total eclipse predicted by Thales of Miletus in 585BC, which according to Herodotus, had interrupted a battle between the Medes and Lydians at the Halys River in Asia Minor, which immediately led to the declaration of a truce between the warring factions. As such, Diakonov has suggested that Kizkapan Cave is actually the tomb of the Median emperor Cyaxares, who ruled during the Battle of Halys. However, Diakonov bases this idea largely upon the fact that the Eclipse of Thales is one of the only known instances of a solar eclipse eliciting such a dramatic reaction from its observers. But when we take the events behind the story of Jonah into consideration, we are presented with an alternative explanation for the origin of this relief, since it largely comprised of a similar set of circumstances. And when we study this inscription in closer detail, we can see that it is clearly based on a much older design that had originally incorporated imagery connected to the Mesopotamian mythological figure Oannes, who has been closely associated with the Prophet Jonah himself.

Once we compare the centre-piece of Kizkapan Cave with a well known scene of even greater antiquity found in Mesopotamian culture, we can be certain that the primary inspiration of this engraving is based upon the legendary figure of Oannes/Adapa. Although it has a unique style of its own, introducing a few idiosyncratic motifs that can only be found here, the inscription at Kizkapan Cave is virtually identical to a much older scene found elsewhere in Mesopotamian culture which predominately features the figure of Oannes/Adapa.

A scene found on an ancient cylinder seal featuring the "fish-man" Adapa/Oannes standing below the winged solar deity Shamash adoring a sacred tree, who is presumably accompanied by one of the other of the seven sages who were of similar appearance

As we can see from the pictures above, the posture of the two figures above is exactly the same as that found on the older relief depicting Oannes/Adapa, and is similarly situated directly below a figure within a sun-disc. The only major differences are that the figures shown at Kizkapan are not attired with the fish-garb usually associated with Oannes and the seven Apkallu, or Mesopotamian sages, and instead of holding a basket, they are apparently in the act of placing down their bows with their attention diverted to paying homage to the gods instead. Also the sun-disc at Kizkapan is quite clearly shown to be in eclipse, with the corona visible underneath the figure holding a scroll-like object.

There has been a long-standing association between the Prophet Jonah and the mythological figure of Oannes, not only because the two names are so similar from an etymological point of view, but chiefly because this deity was depicted as a man adorning fish-like garments, almost as if he is emerging out the fish itself. The Babylonian historian Berossus describes Oannes as a half man, half fish creature below:

“A man, or rather a monster, Half man and half fish, coming from the sea, appeared near Babylon; he had two heads; one, which was the highest, resembled that of man, the other that of a fish. He had the feet of a man, and the tail of a fish; and his speech and voice resembled that of a man: a representation of him is still preserved. This monster dwelt by day with men, but took no food; he gave them knowledge of letters, arts, and sciences; he taught them to build towers and temples; and to establish laws; he instructed them in the principles of geometry; taught them to sow, and to gather the fruits of the earth; in short, whatever could contribute to polish and civilize their manners. At sun set he retired to the sea, in which he passed the night. There appeared likewise others of the same species.”

According to Mesopotamian mythology, Adapa/Oannes was a mortal man and a son of the god Ea, and was instrumental in bringing the arts of civilisation to humanity. In a further parallel to the story of Jonah and the fish, we are told that while Adapa was out fishing one day, his boat was overturned by Ninlil, the personification of the South Wind. Indeed, the similarities between the story of Jonah and the figure of Oannes run so deep, that many commentators have erroneously proposed that these legends were originally inspired by the events surrounding the Prophet Jonah himself. This misconception is recounted in the Wikipedia article concerning Jonah:

Biblical scholars have speculated that Jonah may have been in part the inspiration behind the figure of Hannes in late Babylonian mythology. The deity name "Oannes" first occurs in texts from the Library of Ashurbanipal (more than a century after the time of Jonah) as Uanna or Uan but is assimilated to Adapa, a deity first mentioned on fragments of tablets from the 15th or 14th century BC found in Amarna in Egypt. Oannes is described as dwelling in the Persian Gulf, and rising out of the waters in the daytime and furnishing humanity instruction in writing, the arts and the various sciences. Berossus describes Oannes as having the body of a fish but underneath the figure of a man—a detail that, some biblical scholars suggest, is not derived from Adapa but is perhaps based on a misinterpretation of images of Jonah emerging from the fish. (See here)

However the various myths concerning the figure of Adapa predate the ministry of Jonah by several centuries, and can be traced as far back as the 14th century BC. Although the connection between the events behind the story of Jonah and the figure of Oannes would not have went unnoticed by the Assyrians themselves, and it is quite probable that the ancient Ninevites would have associated the appearance of the prophet emerging from the fish with the myth of Adapa. It is even possible that the later name "Oannes" used for Adapa is itself derived from Jonah, because of this close association.

Given the fact that the engraving found in Kizkapan Cave is based upon earlier imagery associated with Adapa/Oannes, it makes it more likely that this relief depicts events which took place during the Bur-Sagale Eclipse of 763BC, rather than the Eclipse of Thales. As such, the two figures laying down weapons may represent a cessation in hostilities during the revolts that were unfolding in Nineveh, which were recorded as taking place around this time by the Assyrian Eponym Canon. Actions which were prompted by the appearance of the eclipse itself, and a prophet who emerged out of a fish to announce the destruction of Nineveh.

Given the possibility that the repentance of the Ninevites at the preaching of Jonah can be attributed to the Bur-Sagale Eclipse, we have some grounds to suggest that the original "sign of Jonah" consisted of the appearance of a total solar eclipse over the site of ancient Nineveh. When we look to Christ's statement concerning the appearance of the "sign of Jonah" to a wicked and perverse generation, we find that these words were made immediately after His discourse on the binding of the strong man - which according to St. Augustine of Hippo, is an integral component of the prophecy of the unbinding of Satan at the end of the "thousand years" mentioned in Rev 20:

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself says, No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man — meaning by the strong man the devil, because he had power to take captive the human race; and meaning by his goods which he was to take, those who had been held by the devil in various sins and iniquities, but were to become believers in Himself. It was then for the binding of this strong one that the apostle saw in the Apocalypse an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a chain in his hand. And he laid hold, he says, on the dragon, that old serpent, which is called the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,— that is, bridled and restrained his power so that he could not seduce and gain possession of those who were to be freed. (St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God XX:7)

So in relation to the sacrificial death of Jesus and His resurrection on the third day, the "sign of Jonah" harks back to the three days the prophet spent in the belly of the fish. An event which foreshadowed the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Christ - which in turn brought about the binding of Satan.

But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
(Matt 12:39-41)

Therefore as well as pointing us towards the significance of a total solar eclipse over the site of ancient Nineveh, the "sign of Jonah" is also intimately connected to the binding and unbinding of Satan.

It is surely beyond coincidence in this regard that the start of the First World War was marked by a total solar eclipse which directly traversed the site of ancient Nineveh in Mosul, Iraq on 21st August, 1914. The World War I Eclipse crossed over the battlefields of war-torn eastern Europe before making its way down towards Nineveh - an event which took place on the feast day of Our Lady of Knock, a Marian apparition which appears to have announced the imminence of the opening of the seven seals by the Lamb of Revelation.

The path of totality of the eclipse of 21st August, 1914

Moreover, the path of totality of the solar eclipse of August 11th, 1999 had similarly crossed the site of ancient Nineveh at the turn of the millennium. A solar eclipse which I argue in some depth was part of a sequence of events linked to the "signs in Heaven" foretold throughout Sacred Scripture, which mark the moment when Satan is thrown down to earth in great fury by the Archangel Michael, after which he sends out a flood which threatens to sweep away the Church. The fact that the "sign of Jonah" appeared at the dawn of the third millennium after the birth of Christ parallels the three days the prophet spent in the belly of the fish, and the three days of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, since according to the words of St. Peter:

...do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
(2 Peter 3:8-9)

The path of totality of the solar eclipse of 11th August, 1999

In order to further heighten the significance of this event, the 1999 solar eclipse had occurred on the exact day that a rare "Grand Cross Alignment" took place, when the planets of the solar system were arranged to take the form a cross - the ultimate sign of the defeat of Satan.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
(Psalm 19:1)

This ties into the recent observation made by researcher Miguel Antonio Fiol, that the planets had arranged to take the form of a crucifixion scene on the most likely date of the death of Jesus - 3rd April, 33AD.

As Christian Newswire reported back on 31st August, 2015:

In an illustration (hi-res version) released today to the public, the planets Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Earth and Venus align on an orrery model to form what looks like Jesus on the cross with the head, the hands spread out and the legs together in accurate positioning, rotation and on a galactic scale. Indeed, even Saturn's rings can be viewed as representing the "halo" or "crown of thorns."

Moreover, and perhaps most noteworthy, is the date of the alignment, the day commonly viewed as that of Jesus' actual crucifixion, April 3, 33 A.D. (See here for more).

A few days after the total solar eclipse passed through central Turkey on 11th August, 1999, a massive earthquake struck the city of Izmit in this region on 17th August, 1999, killing more than 17,000 people. The location of Izmit itself is highly significant in the fact that this is the site of ancient Nicomedia - the location where the Roman Emperor Diocletian issued his first Edict against Christians on February 23rd AD303, beginning the Great Persecution. The emperor Diocletian had shifted his seat of governance from Rome to Nicomedia, which he made eastern capital of the Roman Empire in 286AD. So Nicomedia was in essence the very nerve centre of the most severe persecution of Christians in antiquity. The Diocletianic Persecution saw the most intense attack against Christians established throughout the majority of the Roman Empire, and in many ways reflects the coming Great Persecution of Christians under the Antichrist, which was foreseen in the Third Secret of Fatima. Immediately before the appearance of the signs in Heaven at the opening of the sixth seal, the Apocalypse presents us with a vision of those who were martyred for their testimony to Christ calling out for justice:

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.
(Rev 6:9-13)

The fact that the epicentre of this earthquake was concentrated upon the very base of operations of the Great Persecution helps us to further establish that the 1999 solar eclipse was part of the signs in Heaven described in the Apocalypse. It is interesting to note that there was a repeat of a the "Grand Cross Alignment" that occurred on 11th August, 1999 just a few days later between 17th-18th August, when the planets once again assembled in the form of a cross in a slightly different form at the very moment this earthquake occurred within the confines of ancient Nicomedia.

Yet again, it is surely beyond coincidence that the "sign of Jonah" (in the form of a total solar eclipse occurring over the site of Nineveh) had appeared not only at the very dawn of period of Satan's greater power foreseen by Pope Leo XIII, at the beginning of the First World War, but also just before the Great Jubilee Year of the Incarnation at the start of the third millennium AD. A date which is closely associated with the promises of the Protoevangelium, when the head of the ancient serpent is trampled under the feet of the Woman Clothed with the Sun.

As I detail in the book, the turn of the millennium was accompanied by a number of phenomena which can be directly equated with the signs in Heaven - the 1999 solar eclipse followed by the Izmit earthquake in August, the recurrence of the 33 year cycle of the Leonid Meteor Storm in November (the most prolific of all meteor showers), followed by the first blood moon of the new millennium on the feast of Our Lady of Zion on Jan 21st 2000. In addition to this, after an interview with Sr. Lucia in the immediate wake of 9/11, Cardinal Tarcisco Bertone was left to conclude that the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 were also part of the "signs in Heaven" - which can only be equated with the "blood, fire and columns of smoke" included among these signs in Joel 2:30-31 and Acts 2:19-21:

I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. (Joel 2:30-32)

The signs in Heaven are the visible signs which herald the eschatological expulsion of Satan from Heaven at the expiration of the "short time" given to him at the end of the thousand years, when the Devil is cast down to the earth with a third of the angelic host. Throughout the Bible, these signs are associated with casting down of Satan to earth, in passages such as that found in Ezek 32:

You consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers. Thus says the Lord GOD: I will throw my net over you with a host of many peoples, and they will haul you up in my dragnet. And I will cast you on the ground; on the open field I will fling you, and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle on you, and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you. I will strew your flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass. I will drench the land even to the mountains with your flowing blood, and the ravines will be full of you.When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land, declares the Lord GOD.
(Ezek 32:2-8)

Once Satan realises he has been cast down to the earth, he sends forth a flood from his mouth in order to sweep the Woman away. Many Catholics believe that the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima next year will in some way be involved in the end of the period of Satan's greater power, which would correspond to the next event which must follow in the sequence of the Divine drama - when the flood issued from the mouth of the serpent is finally swallowed up. It is therefore quite remarkable that there will be another "great sign seen in heaven" that will appear during the course of the year 2017 which also harks back to the significance of Rev 12. A sequence of astronomical events which are set in motion in just a few days time at the conclusion of the Year of Mercy on Nov 20th, 2016 - the feast of Christ the King, and peaks on 23rd September, 2017. As the widely respected Catholic writer Patrick Archbold notes:

On November 20, 2016, an astronomical event begins that will last nine and a half months, culminating in startling concurrence with the vision of Revelation 12. While I am not an astronomer, all my research indicates that this astronomical event, in all its particulars, is unique in the history of man.

On November 20, 2016, Jupiter (the King planet) enters into the body (womb) of the constellation Virgo (the virgin). Jupiter, due its retrograde motion, will spend the next 9 ½ months within the womb of Virgo. This length of time corresponds with gestation period of a normal late-term baby.

After 9 ½ months, Jupiter exits out of the womb of Virgo. Upon Jupiter’s exit (birth), on September 23, 2017, we see the constellation Virgo with the sun rise directly behind it (the woman clothed with the sun). At the feet of Virgo, we find the moon. And upon her head we find a crown of twelve stars, formed by the usual nine stars of the constellation Leo with the addition of the planets Mercury, Venus, and Mars.

That is a truly remarkable and, as far as I can determine, unique series of event with a startling degree of concurrence with the vision of Revelation 12. (Read the full article here)

Just before the conclusion of this astronomical event on 23rd Sept, 2017, another remarkable total solar eclipse will take place. And just like the solar eclipse which occurred at the start of World War One (at the beginning of the period of the unbinding of Satan), this event will also transpire on Aug 21st, 2017 - the Feast of Our Lady of Knock. While it is difficult to know for sure if this event has any real prophetic significance, the fact that it will take place at the end of the period of Satan's greater power foretold in the prophecy of Pope Leo XIII, and that it so close to the Rev 12 sign that occurs on 23rd Sept, 2017, prompts us to ponder whether this solar eclipse is part of the "sign of Jonah" sequence that began on Aug 21st, 1914. Only instead of appearing over the location of ancient Nineveh, this solar eclipse is concentrated entirely upon America, and the path of totality can only be seen across the central United States.

If this solar eclipse does have any significance in regard to the "sign of Jonah" which appeared on Aug 21st, 1914 and was repeated on Aug 11th, 1999, then we are left to consider if this may suggest that America is the new Nineveh that is being called to repentance. The fact that 40 days onward from this event brings us into October - the month of the Holy Rosary, within which takes place the centenary of the Miracle of the Sun on Oct 13th, 2017, recalls the words of Jonah himself:

Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. (Jonah 3:4-5)

Furthermore, the fact that this eclipse takes place during the Feast of Our Lady of Knock may further suggest that the events of 2017 have something to do with the opening of the seven seals by the Lamb of Revelation. As I attempt to show in the book, the events which take place during the opening of the first six seals of the Apocalypse have already taken place, and these events are one and the same as that which unfolds during the unbinding of Satan at the end of the "thousand years". It is only the opening of the seventh seal that is yet to occur. Is it possible that the opening of the seventh seal will only take place at the end of the period of Satan's greater power? When we look to the Book of Revelation, we find that there some interesting parallels between the opening of the seventh seal and the vison of the angel in the Third Secret of Fatima, who threatens to strike the earth with his flaming sword:

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
(Rev 8:1-5)

The angel with the golden censer here is the same as the angel who "has authority over the fire" who calls for the harvest of the earth in Rev 14:

Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
(Rev 14:17-19)

Could this portend the threat of some sort of chastisement that America will have to suffer next year, unless it is brought to repentance? It is difficult to know for sure, since without any "revealed" knowledge this purely involves speculation. But the coincidences surrounding the sign of Jonah and the significance of the year 2017 are certainly stacking up, especially since the site of ancient Nineveh in Mosul is faced with such dire circumstances in the immediate approach of the ominous date of Nov 20th, 2016. This seems to be yet another facet to a puzzle which is gradually falling into place in the run-up to the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima.

It is interesting to note that the significance of the planetary alignment that will occur on 23rd Sept next year involves a particular portion of Rev 12 that specifically relates to the birth of the "male child":

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. (Rev 12:1-6)

While the preterist interpretation of the "male child" is undoubtedly Jesus Himself, some modern commentators, such as Fr. Herman Kramer, have suggested that the futurist interpretation of the figure behind the "male child" may involve a pope as the Vicar of Christ on earth - possibly the Angelic Pope of Catholic prophecy. An alternative explanation is that it refers to the coming of the Great Monarch, who as a Davidic type figure is similarly foretold to "rule all the nations with a rod of iron". The Devil seeks to destroy the male child as soon as he is "born", which may be a metaphor for when he first assumes power. We should note that this event only takes place once the Devil has been cast down to the earth with a third of the angelic host, since the Dragon sweeping down a third of the stars and casting them to earth in Rev 12:4 above is recapitulated again in Rev 12:9, when we are told that Satan is thrown down alongside his angels by the Archangel Michael:

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Rev 12:7-9)

After Satan and a third of the angelic host has been cast to earth, he attempts to devour the male child as soon as he is born, just as King Herod sought to destroy Christ during the massacre of the Holy Innocents. Again, this passage is recapitulated in Rev 12:12-16, when we are told that once Satan realises he has been cast down to earth, he attempts to destroy the Church with a flood before it can be renewed by the Two Witnesses, who are symbolised by the "two wings of the great eagle":

Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. (Rev 12:12-16)

So the birth of the male child and the Woman being given the "two wings of the great eagle" in order to flee to a sanctuary provided for her in the desert are synchronous events, both involving the restoration of the Church before the final persecution of the Antichrist.

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Rev 12:17)

Given the fact that the astronomical sign of 23rd Sept, 2017 reflects the birth of the "male child" of Rev 12, we can conclude that the potential significance of this event relates to the restoration of the Church by the Two Witnesses, which can only take place once the powers of Satan are yet again restricted following his period of unbinding. As St. Augustine of Hippo states:

And yet the verse of the Gospel will not be untrue, Who enters into the house of the strong one to spoil his goods, unless he shall first have bound the strong one? For in accordance with this true saying that order is observed— the strong one first bound, and then his goods spoiled; for the Church is so increased by the weak and strong from all nations far and near, that by its most robust faith in things divinely predicted and accomplished, it shall be able to spoil the goods of even the unbound devil. For as we must own that, when iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold,Matthew 24:12 and that those who have not been written in the book of life shall in large numbers yield to the severe and unprecedented persecutions and stratagems of the devil now loosed, so we cannot but think that not only those whom that time shall find sound in the faith, but also some who till then shall be without, shall become firm in the faith they have hitherto rejected and mighty to conquer the devil even though unbound, God's grace aiding them to understand the Scriptures, in which, among other things, there is foretold that very end which they themselves see to be arriving. And if this shall be so, his binding is to be spoken of as preceding, that there might follow a spoiling of him both bound and loosed; for it is of this it is said, Who shall enter into the house of the strong one to spoil his goods, unless he shall first have bound the strong one?'
(St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God XX:8)

If the solar eclipse which takes place over America next year is indeed part of a wider sequence of events which pertains to the sign of Jonah, the binding of Satan and the opening of the seven seals, we can only hope that this will see the end of the period of Satan's greater power, and that any threat of chastisement that may loom with the ominous date of 13th Oct, 2017 can be averted through public repentance, so that the hand of the angel with the flaming sword may be stayed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin:

After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'. (The Third Secret of Fatima)

80 comments:

Anonymous
said...

A few notes of interrest:

Sept 23, 2017: Sept 21/22 is the Jewish New Year, a new beginning.

Night of August 21, 2017 Solar Eclipse: Vigil of Feast of Our Lady Queen of Heaven of Aug 22, the Queenship of Mary.Prior, this date was the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (My Immaculate Heart will Triumph). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Heart_of_Mary

The period of "gestation and birth of the king" in the night sky from Nov 20, 2016 to Sept 23, 2017: this begins immediately as the Holy Door of Mercy closes. Does the Door of Justice open at that time? This is the period when the Woman is in labor and gives birth to the King (Jupiter is the king planet) - think of birth pangs, the travail of birth - is this period of time one of birth pangs, travail i.e. chastisements, tribulations?

What catches my eye in this post is the fact that the patch of the eclipse will be over America this time, possibly pointing to it as "the new Nineveh," as Emmet says. This is of very great interest given the current developments in Russia. Those who closely study the events of the apparition at Fatima state that the chastisement of the world is slated to come from Russia, just as it is Russia that is to be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart, as that nation is also to be the instrument of conversion. Though no one has used the phrase "Cold War" in the press, what is happening right now very much amounts to a resumption of the Cold War...and it is rapidly heating up. I posit that, if and when any chastisement of America begins, it will take the form of an attack by Russia, a nation which is far more powerful than the general public is aware of and is very much capable of bring our no-longer-great nation to its knees.

Why is America no longer great? To answer that question, I go back to something I was taught in my Catholic grade-school history class. The biggest thing that makes a nation great is its adherence to God's laws, something which was very much true in America until the late 1960s, when it all began to come apart. Today, God has been banned from the public sphere; believers have gone from being laughed at and marginalized to being unable to keep jobs if they don't conform to the world, to having to defend themselves in courts for following the dictates of (properly formed) conscience, when those dictates do not conform to what is now considered acceptable. Christ said it Himself: Woe to those who call good, evil, and evil, good. The heinous crimes of abortion, euthanasia, and sodomy are popularly considered "good," and those who decry them are vilified as espousing evil.

Somehow, the idea that the Door of Mercy is closing has taken on a meaning much more ominous than simply a metaphor for the end of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy.

I'm going to print this one off and read it over again this evening. This is really important, I think.

But to JMC - I've heard the term "Cold War" in the media quite often lately. Usually in the context of "...first time since the Cold War...". It was often used when the Russian bombers were testing the North Sea and Bering Sea defenses a while back, and when the Russian navy sailed through the English Channel. I've heard it quite a bit recently, even in MSM reports.

First, thanks for this, Emmett. This is perhaps the most important post you've written...at least from my point of view. It's depressing as Original Sin, but infinitely important from my perspective. (As I write this, I'm sitting at home in a suburb of the 4th largest metropolitan region in North America, so the prospect of getting nuked or chastised is of some particular importance to me.)

You really should have a look at the prophecies of Alois Irlmaier. They are very similar, though Irlmaier wanders into 3 days of darkness.

Rachmaninov - are you out there? You've read a great deal about this subject from a papal writings point of view - Stephen, do you concur?

The second question is for my fellow Americans - what do we do? Prayer yes, but what else? I love this country, and I don't feel like going down without a struggle. I don't suppose that we can influence the consecration or actions of Russia, and the political system here is so broken now that there's not much hope left (to me), so what remains?

Also, what is remarkable is Pope JP II's last line that he wrote on his journal before he died was a question he posted to Jonah. It is interesting to note that Pope JP II was born during a solar eclipse and was buried during a solar eclipse.

Mark W,Well the popes have for the most part kept to a generalized description of what is taking place, therefore its very difficult to say what they know specifically. However, we know two revelations of great importance that they certainly know more about from an apocalyptic point of view: Fatima, and the revelation gven to Jessica Gregori from Civitavechiia, Italy. Although the Vatican allowed many of the messages to be released(Including several that speak of the second coming being very near), they also withheld some others-and presumably for good reason. Personally, I feel the popes see an end game to the post Christian culture which leads to the coming of the Antichrist. Now how does this all fit in in terms of the next several years and the restoration of the Church only time will tell I suppose. I put alot of faith in the revelations (real ones, not those taken out of context) given to St Hildegard which speak of this era we are in as one which sees a huge dichotomy: one the one hand a flowering of the faith supported by mystical experiences, and on the other a massive apostasy which in a sense is the "pregnancy" of the Antichrist. I wonder (and Emmett maybe you could share your opinion on this point) if the period of the restoration actually completely overlaps with the still terrible descent into evil-which seems to be how St Hildegard sees it. So the world continues to follow the devil while a small remnant illuminates the glory of the Church and at some point there is a convergence whereby Enoch and Elijah return to bring the Jews into the Church. At that high point we reach the last brutal persecution. The restoration is "Palm Sunday", but all the while the plotting is taking placeStephen

Yes, I would absolutely agree that the restoration of the Church will be on a smaller scale than that expected by many, and it will be the "Palm Sunday" before its crucifixion. I'm hoping that it will involve the reunification of the Anglican and Orthodox Churches with Catholicism, as many prophecies indicate. But it would be madness to assume that all the peoples of England and all of Russia will convert to Catholicism. I expect the new Pentecost to parallel the first Pentecost, with the expansion of Christianity being met with brutal repression.

First off, as to Yague himself - I have not read any of his writings. I have watched all of the videos he's produced in English. He's an adherent to Garabandal, and that colors all of his work. (Thereby, if you accept Garabandal, then his work will be more appealing. If you do not accept Garabandal, then his work is less appealing...as it is to me). Other things color his interpretations that are not appealing to me. For example, he accepts British Isrealism as a basic tenant of his interpretations, along with Garabandal.

I can say that his work on Sacred Astronomy is excellent. I disagree with his interpretations. But his views on the astronomical situation for the Star of Bethlehem, and the upcoming astronomical events for 2017, are quite good.

As to the idea that something is between Venus and the Sun - First off, the pictures don't include any other celestial bodies, so there's no way to reference exactly which direction they're looking. There's only the glow of the sun which is beneath the horizon.

The photo timestamp indicates October 27, 2016, at 6:37 PDT. I setup Stellarium for the west coast of the United States on the same date and time. The distance between Venus and the Sun is about 40 degrees of sky, so a VERY hefty area. Between Venus and the Sun is the entire constellation of Libra. Mercury is also there, but VERY close to the sun and almost certainly invisible. At that particular time and from that particular place, there were 5 man made satellites in the immediate area. At one point, I saw as many as 18 satellites in the neighborhood, but not at that particular hour. The light in the photos could be any of these.

But the object appears to be moving. In 30 seconds, a single point of celestial light would not move so much as the time lapse pictures show.

If I had to put down a wager, I'd say this is the setting sun glinting off the belly of an airplane at high altitude, or maybe the sun reflecting off a man made satellite. But it would be interesting to see if it repeated. Even if it did, you couldn't rule out the satellites.

But there is an interesting nugget in that thread. Yague says that the "aster" will be between the Earth and Sun on the 13th of this month. At that point, if it's real, SOHO (SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory) will spot it as a dark spot passing over the disc of the sun. He also goes on to say that the poles will shift on the 20th of November (which would likely end human civilization). So, at least, we don't have long to wait.

As I said, I think some of his work is really solid, but I don't agree with his conclusions. I think November 20th is a very, VERY important date for the beginning of something, but not what Yague posits.

Oh, and the text of the thread mentions November 5th as well. I checked that date at sunset too. There was one man made satellite in the area. However, Saturn and a probably visible Mercury were between Venus and the Sun at that point, as is a large portion of Scorpio. And depending on the exact time, a second man made satellite wandered between them.

I think it's vital to widen the lens. The web causes a tiny aperture phenomenon, and I encourage everyone to carefully consider the dangers of apophenia, and to a lesser extent, pareidolia (in regards to finding patterns in stellar phenomenon, patterns which recur with far greater frequency than is reported). Apophenia, in regards to finding deep, complex patterns of prophetic significance which we never revisit except to 'reinterpret in a new light with new information' is a true, unreported danger. I think the enemy uses it to make us weave an almost schizophrenic kind of highly detailed creation of complex connections which can never be disproven, and into which we become endlessly entrapped, like a cat in a ball of yarn. We can be taken out of true spiritual action, if you will, out of places of peace and confidence, while we knit and untie endless knots.

Remaining steadfast in faith, yes. Refusing to give in to fear, to the prepper phenomenon which digs bunkers and escapes underground, which reveals a lack of faith and courage. A steadfast refusal to adhere to rigid interpretations of events, or arcane knowledge (the heresy of gnosticism). Rejecting discouragement, rejecting fear, using all things as opportunities to deepen our faith by rooting out interior idolatry - systems we used in our hearts to construct false gods who must obey how we interpret events. Imagine the challenge to our faith if 2018 comes and nothing whatsoever happened. Or all of the alleged visionaries and locutionists of our day die and nothing happens. There may be deeply trying days ahead for even the most grounded among us, especially if the years just keep clicking by and our prognostications all collapse into dust. Will we lose our edge, return to the world and think we've been forgotten by God.

Things may unfold over a much longer period of time than we are expecting, or even hoping for. That would expose nooks and crannies in our hearts which hope for an end game, escape from the challenge of our times, or perhaps even a desire for martyrdom.

Friends, I think our unity in the steadfastness of our baptismal faith in Jesus Christ is what binds us and keeps us together in these times. I hope we here on this forum can continue to be a light and consolation for one another. The sound, reasonable, orthodox, faithful places on the web where things of eschatological significance can be discussed rationally and calmly are becoming rare.

I tried to post a message of similar content twice before and each time the post failed to go through (on my end- browser crashes, etc.), so maybe it isn't meant to be heard, I don't know. If this third time isn't the charm, I'll take it as a sign and won't try again.

Your admonition is a worthy thing to point out, but I hope you don't think this is what's happening here...at least, in broad terms.

If 2018 were to roll around, and nothing happen, it would not challenge my faith in the least. It would mean that I missed something, perhaps, but I personally would not go looking for new explanations. It would simply mean that I attached two puzzle pieces incorrectly.

As to the aprophenia idea, Genesis 1:14 - "...and for signs..." A cross in the planetary alignments is very rare, but sure, it does happen from time to time. In general terms, I don't care when it happens. But for such a thing to happen with everything else that went on in 1999 - that's an odd sequence of events and to be coincidental is somewhat difficult to buy. Could it be nothing? Sure. Am I going to cry if nothing happens, or question my faith, no. The same answer really applies to the Pareidolia charges.

Let me put it this way. I do puzzles. I build jigsaw puzzles at home when I have time. I really enjoy them. I do puzzles at work as well as one part of my job, where I have to figure out patterns in datasets that have maybe 12000+ lines (I'm REALLY handy with Excel). I'm wired that way. This is the grandest puzzle of them all. I'm not trying to gain arcane knowledge. It's in my nature to look for patterns, but it's in my training to discard patterns that don't really exist.

I can only speak for myself, but... Looking into these things has actually strengthened my faith. I go to Mass every occasion I can manage now, not just on Sundays. I read more carefully the works of faith in the countless (literally) faith-based books that my wife has collected over the years. It's made me more grateful for small things, and for time with my wife and kids. I can't say that I'm more joyful, to be perfectly honest, but I am more grateful.

As to the prepper mentality, I will help anyone that I'm able should the time arise when such is needed. That's what I do with my "prepping" (for want of a better word as I don't really consider myself much of a prepper. I live in an area with tornadoes and ice storms, so being prepared is part of that as well). But none of my actions presuppose that any of this is going to happen next year. Everything I do presupposes the exact opposite. I have investments that I manage for retirement, which likely won't be possible for at least another 10 years. My wife and I are planning our wills, assuming all the while that we'll have something to leave and someone to leave it to. Life as usual goes on, until such time as it doesn't.

While I think it a good idea to tell us to keep our heads screwed on straight, I don't want you to think that we're all suffering from having our heads screwed on crookedly.

Never heard of that before Gina. Although I tend to be very sceptical of these hidden planet/asteroid theories. Didn't know that about the diaries of JPII - interesting!Mark L - I understand your reservations, and yes we should all be prepared for the eventuality of the year 2017 being devoid of prophetic significance. I would be sorely disappointed if the faith of anyone here would be shaken if nothing of significance happens next year. There are many, many "coincidences" which appear to suggest that next year may be important, but our collective instincts about such matters could equally be wrong. Personally, I think the growing "sensus fidelium" about the significance of the centenary of Fatima is worth paying heed to. But I'm equally prepared to accept that events will be a lot slower in unfolding, or will manifest in other more unexpected ways.

Mark W: You asked in an earlier post what can we do, aside from prayer? Of course, prayer and penitence are the primary recourse, but, in keeping with the premise that we ought to deal with problems as if everything is up to us, but always keeping in mind that the success of our endeavors is up to God alone, I would say the preppers are onto something. No, I'm not advocating building a bunker in the woods...that's carrying things to a ridiculous extreme. In fact, most prep strategies of that ilk involve too much time and money to set up; personally I think it's the simple things that are going to be of more help. At the very least, I would say learn to operate without any electricity. Get a tent and keep it someplace readily available in case your house becomes uninhabitable, so at least you'll have shelter. And, of course, the Mormons definitely have the right idea, if their reasoning is a little skewed, in keeping a year's supply of canned goods on hand at all times. Anything more than that will depend heavily on your own individual circumstances..Most important of all, of course, is spiritual preparation. If at all possible, make Confession a weekly habit, if it isn't already. .God bless us all.- JMC

JMC - you're correct. As I said, I'm not much of a prepper, really, but there is one thing I've heard that I like. There are sheep, sheepdogs and wolves. I hope to end up as a sheepdog. There are many different kinds of sheepdog, and what I've done is to try to keep my family safe and to help others as I'm able.

All - What I was getting at when I asked the question, more than anything else, is what specifically can we do now in this sense:

1. Can we create a prayer group dedicated to this sort of thing - either real-world or virtual.2. Is there a means to get priests involved now, rather than waiting till things get very ugly? My guess is, at some point, priests will need a certain degree of protection (aside from Fr. Z, who only needs more ammo).3. Is there anything that we Americans can do physically, as well as spiritually? On any sort of larger scale, I don't have an answer for this one.

At least that's a couple of ideas. What I'm curious about is - anyone else have any ideas?

Sr. Lucia said that the rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary are our weapons and I believe the reason Mary kept appearing is to ask for the church militants assistance in helping Heaven save souls. She always points to the Eucharist and I think that the rosary will keep us from falling into heresy. Too much confusion even amongst Catholics. I personally started watching Fr. Malachi Martins interviews and revisiting Garabandal. Am praying and discerning and feel there is something about Garabandal. I used to read and trust in it especially when a very holy Italian priest in the Philippines printed and gave out information about it when i was young. I stopped when i read some negative things re Fr. Malachi /Garabandal but the world now is a place of deceit so prayer esp the rosary can keep us from heresy i believe. I started with this video and had peace watching it through, moreso because Padre Pio is involved.

My initial stumbling block for Garabandal was that one of the girls said she saw an eye in the sky beside Arch. Michael so i worried it was related to the enemies eye symbol but through research i see the Catholics even had this in the early churches as the eye of providence and that the freemasons could've highjacked it just like Gods rainbow in Noah's flood and used now for gay parades etc.

Then the apparitions began after they had stolen an apple from the school masters yard but then again St. Augustine had done a similar act yet he received his "St. Paul" moment.

Thanks Emmett for all your writings. It gives us much thought and personally for me much consolation and peace whenever I come here to your blog. I will get a copy of your book through kindle which will be easier for me to bring around. Having to raise five children, i can barely get any time for myself.

As for the Garabandal visions beginning after one of the girls stole an apple...well, Sr. Lucia herself said that, just before their first vision, the three children were rushing through their customary Rosary, taking short-cuts with the prayers, because they were in a hurry to go and play. So I don't put much stock in any remarks about anything "wicked" a visionary, especially a child, may have done prior to the visions. Anonymous/Gina above has the right idea, calling it a "St. Paul moment." ;D

Mark, your question about prayer groups is an excellent one. The primary one is to make a serious attempt to make the five First Saturdays. Our Lady of Fatima asked for that one; Confession, Mass, and Holy Communion on five consecutive First Saturdays is a devotion that has associated promises of special assistance of Our Lady at the moment of death, but also, if enough people do it, graces will be showered on the Pope to enable him to make the Consecration of Russia despite opposition - which has been FIERCE ever since that Our Lady made that specific request. If that happens, the chastisement will be averted, and we will enter into the promised period of peace. While the First Saturday devotion is up to each of us as individuals, why not try to get others in your parish to participate?

Other than that, I'd say try to get people from your parish together for group Rosaries; my parish does something like that, where people gather in each other's homes on a rotating basis, in addition to weekly Rosary in church on Wednesday evenings. Something we can all do as individuals, also, is the Chaplet of Mercy daily, specifically between 3 and 4 pm if possible...Christ told St. Faustina that this hour is "the hour of mercy," since it was at 3 pm that He died on the cross.

Hi Emmett (et al),As a silent reader of the blog, I've been moved to comment tonight. My wife T introduced me to UTA and we upgraded to the newer volume just this week. Initial thoughts: It's an impressive structure and will require some investment of time and contemplation. We're relaxing this evening in Down as the US political racers strive towards the slippery slope apex.The cry for the penance of mankind, as requested by the Angel of Portugal, strikes me as poignant for the US (womb to tomb election debate) but also for the rest of us in the secularised world. God have mercy not just on America today but on all!God's peace. JB

I'm a bit more than half way through the book now. I just want to say that I'm staggered by the work. It's truly amazing how much depth you've put into this. I'm having a difficult time finding alternative explanations, and finding holes in your logic is getting harder and harder. I'm still not fond of the cell phone argument, but I can live with it for now.

That said, I think MarkL's admonition is all the more important. Care is needed to sift through this, if for no other reason than the importance of what's proposed.

I'm going to suggest something in a few days that we can all do to maybe help. I'm just wrapping my head around a couple of other elements right now, but I think there are things that we can do that will directly impact what's coming.

I think it makes a difference being able to see all the arguments presented together in book form. When I first started out, I really didn't expect to uncover so much supporting evidence, and the fact that it all adds up suggests to me that I'm on the right track.

Hi Emmett. I just wanted to share with you and your readers the last message that Fr. Stefanno Gobbi commented on before he passed away. It just seems so timely and refers to much of what we are experiencing today.

I've gotten into the section on the eschatological earthquake. It says in the book that the big earthquake comes before the chastisement of the whore of Babylon. I'd always thought the chastisement was first (though I can't say why exactly...something I read somewhere, I'm sure). Is this something that can be open to interpretation? I guess what I'm getting at is - not all time is linear in Revelation. Can this be one of those moments when time is out of order?

And is the eschatological earthquake simultaneous to your idea on Cumbre Vieja? I also thought that the mountain cast into the sea was before the great earthquake. Another linear vs. non-linear time question, I suppose.

And is there room for a smaller chastisement still? I seem to remember reading about a lesser chastisement, and always assumed that would be aimed mainly at the whore of Babylon as well.

Last thing - my wife wanted me to tell you that she very much appreciated the play on words in the title. Do you get many comments on that?

Mark W,You asked on Nov. 5th what we Americans can do. One suggestion is let's work together to get the bishops (or as many as will participate) to process the statue of Our Lady of America into the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The Blessed Virgin Mary promised more graces would come to the USA if we do this for her than those that stem from Fatima and Lourdes combined. I know One More Soul is promoting the OLofA devotion and so is Dan Lynch.

A second thing we can do is join in The Flame of Love's "Mass Conversions Program." They have asked people to have as many Masses said as possible for the Intentions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from the day after the Doors of Mercy close up to and including Oct. 13, 2017. In particular they recommend going to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Office for the the Propagation of the Faith to ask for Masses to be said in the Missions around the world for this intention. Below is the info on the Mass Conversions Program.

From an email sent by Anthony Mullen of The Flame of Love Devotion - ".... We're inspired to ask your help in having extra Masses said for the INTENTIONS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. The Mass is the most powerful prayer in the world. Mary, our Mother, is the Queen of heaven and earth. Our Lady will Triumph over evil and thereby, convert the maximum number of souls. The period for the extra Masses to be said is November 21, 2016 – through and including - October 13th, 2017. Why this time frame? Monday, Nov. 21, 2016 is the first day after the closing of the Year of Mercy; and Oct. 13th, 2017 is the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima in 1917 (the last apparition of “The Lady of the Rosary” to the three children). Please ask your family and friends to join with you in this extraordinary spiritual program by having Masses offered for the "intentions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary"!

An easy way to arrange for extra Masses is to contact the Office of the Propagation of the Faith in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Masses requested through this office of the worldwide organization (1,111 missions on 5 continents) will be celebrated for The Intentions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The donation for each Mass is $5.00. Contact: Michele Meiers ; Telephone – 215-587-3944 ; Email– pofaith@archphila.org ; website www.phillymissions.org/masscards/mass-offering/ .

Please be certain to specify that you are interested in the MASS CONVERSIONS program. God wins, but He has chosen to require our cooperation for His Mother's Triumph! Please do sacrifice to help our Mother's Cause! Do not assume others will do this. Each of us must respond! Please send an email now to pofaith@archphila.org with your request. 9 Masses would be a perfect start!

Concerning the sequence of events involving the eschatological earthquake and destruction of Babylon, this is one of the few instances in the Apocalypse where there is some clear chronological order. This is chiefly because of a condensed passage in Rev 16, where we are told that God only "remembers" to punish Babylon the Great in the wake of the eschatological earthquake:

"And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath." (Rev 16:18-19)

This passage was one of the main reasons that I proposed that particular order of events in the first edition of the book. I was rather amazed that Sr. Lucia also seen the same sequence of events in her 1944 Tuy vision, since as far as I know, no other private revelation gives such specifics concerning this event:

"I felt my spirit flooded by a light-filled mystery which is God and in Him I saw and heard: the point of the flame-like lance which detaches, touches the axis of the earth and it [the earth] shakes: mountains, cities, towns and villages with their inhabitants are buried. The sea, rivers and clouds leave their bounds, they overflow, flood and drag with them into a whirlpool, houses and people in a number unable to be counted; it is the purification of the world from the sin it is immersed in."

This event takes place at the start of the Great Chastisement. I'll try to answer your other questions when I have more time.

Yes, I propose that the seismic activity produced by the eschatological earthquake directly leads to increased volcanism on the North African plate, bringing about the eruption of Cumbre Vieja. This would explain the order of events described in Scripture.

"And is there room for a smaller chastisement still? I seem to remember reading about a lesser chastisement, and always assumed that would be aimed mainly at the whore of Babylon as well."

I think that a smaller chastisement may very well lie in store for us if there is no repentance. Not the Cumbre Vieja event though - its too soon for that, since it takes place immediately before the rise to power of the Antichrist. I'm also not sure if this is one and the same as the "minor chastisement". I think there is a good case for arguing that the minor chastisement was already brought about in the wars of the 20th century. The second secret of Fatima certainly suggests this.

Not many people notice the play on words there! I'm glad it's appreciated!

And now the jubilee doors are closed ending the year of mercy. I found this line from St Faustina's diary to be quite striking: "He who refuses to pass through the door of My Mercy must pass through the door of My Justice.” (Diary 1146)

Any thoughts on the Popes speech last year around Dec 21 saying that this Christmas (2015) could be the last, and that the celebration was a charade? I think in context he was referring to the continued perseverance in war by mankind and how Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace.

Thanks, theflyingnun. It's interesting. This area of totality passes over or VERY near to an Ephesus (content outside of Kansas City), a Smyrna in Georgia, a Sardis in Tennessee, and a Philadelphia in Tennessee. There's a Thyatria in Mississippi that will have more than 90% coverage. I couldn't find a Pergamon or Laodicia in the US.

Veritas - I haven't heard of this procession you mention. Is there a website that gives details? Does the statue have to be permanently left in the Basilica in DC? Odds are it will never happen if the hierarchy is involved, but if it were possible for the laity to take control of the project, then it might have a chance.

This is due to revelations received by the Servant of God Rosalia Zelkova: "The Lord, she said, demanded that He be enthroned as King by the Polish nation as such and not just in the hearts of the Poles, in a particular manner, and this would save Poland in a [future] war that was coming."

There are also other prophecies according to which a terrible war will occur but Poland is one of the countries that will survive. Maybe this is what will happen very soon and Poland will be a great nation in the era of peace.

The polish president Andrzej Duda is by the way a religious man. Here he saves the hostia:

Emmett, I forget if your book covers the rebuilding of the temple during the time of the antichrist. Can you remind us of any details and the significance to rebuilding the temple in regards to the end times?

This article indicates that the Sanhedrin has requested Trump and Putin to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

God repeats himself to get our attention that we might all be saved. Thank you, Emmett, for being the watchman. I hear you and will send out your message. Is there any chance your new book will come out on CD? God bless you.

The rebuilding of the Temple isn't something I cover in the book Russ. But I have long suspected that it may be rebuilt after the eschatological earthquake occurs in Jerusalem during the appearance of the Sign of the Son of Man, which may very well destroy the Dome of the Rock. If the Ark of the Covenant is eventually recovered (as is suggested by 2 Macc), then it may provide yet another impetus for the rebuilding of the Temple.

Could it be that you are all taking this WAY too seriously and looking for things that aren't there? God didn't step in to help the children hurt in the abuse crisis but it's making a show out of planets for some elaborate sign of the times? Like really? People, god isn't real. You should all really stop this nonsense it only serves to scare people who have stopped thinking.

I am 90 years old. I have been following Mary 's messages for close to 50 years. It has been a journey of lights and shadows. In response to "what can we do?", I will share that God (bear with me, Michael S) has been leading me through a series of repentances. I have accepted my sad failures and sins and brought them to Jesus on the cross. Now I see my horrible pride and am trying to accept the humiliation of it.I pass this on as something to do to get ready. Ask God to show you where you are proud.

I finished your book last night (I also purchased and read the 1st edition) and wish to congratulate you on a veritable tour de force. The text in Daniel relating to the seals being bound until the end times may well refer to yourself! I also noticed that the main text of the book ends on page 777...? A coincidence no doubt...

I recommend you all go to Johnleary.com and read his messages over the past year. Our Lord has revealed to him that America is bringing God's punishment down upon itself due to the sins of abortion and homosexual marriage, euthanasia and sexual sins and our lack of Worship of the Lord. He calls everyone to repentence and confession to stay in the state of grace, to work to reverse these sins in society however possible, to staying close to him by receiving Holy Communion as often as possible, to pray our rosaries and chaplets daily, to remain in the truth through reading His Word in Holy Scripture, to fasting in penance, to listening to His Holy Mother. He warns "The Warning" is coming soon to show everyone spiritually the state of the soul and give them a chance to repent before the Chastisment begins six weeks later in the form of the "One World Order" people taking control of our country due to martial law being declared due to some artifically devised national emergency so that the elected president does not take office. He warns the on worlders will devise an electronic form of currency which will be used by having an electronic chip required to be put in the hand. We must never accept this chip as it will cause us to be mind controlled by the one worlders. Our Lord says when you see martial law declared, the required chip, nature disasters, famine, economic crisis and a schism between the remmant Church and the schism church which will change the wording of consecration so Our Lord will not be there,and the warning know that the chastisement is upon us. Those in the state of grace will be called by the Lord to come to prepared refuges as soon as possible and they will be lead in safety by their guardian angels there. Those faithful left behind will be in danger of being persecuted and taken to detention camps already set up if they do not follow the orders given by one worlders especially about the chip. The time after the warning is given to warn our family and friends who wouldn't listen before. Keep watching world events. The antichrist is behind the one worlders plan to unite the world into regional grouping which can then be more easily given over to the Antichrist when he reveals himself ( he will be Arab). After the warning we are not to watch the TV, computer or other screens on phones, pad etc as we will be in danger of being hypnotized by the eyes of the Antichrist would will appear on screen to seduce people into following him.The one worlders will force US into North American Union with Canada and Mexico after martial law to further this agenda and remove our protection of our constitutional laws and bill of rights. Those in refuges will be protected and wont be seen by the enemies, and Our Lord will multiply the resources he has asked refuge builders to supply to keep everyone cared for during the three and a half year reign of the Antichrist. All this is permitted by Our Lord to save the most souls from going to hell and allowing people to see they really do need God to be safe from sin and death and repent of their godless lives before they die and have to stand before the judgement seat of God. The faithful will be called to help all their unknowing brothers and sisters with knowledge of the truth of God's existence and love for them so they can all be saved. Pray for the conversion of all poor sinners, especially all young people and all unbelievers and peace in the world, every day with every pray you say. Pray with all your hearts as much as possible! Pat

I am also being led through a series of repentances and preparing for a thorough general confession. I watched a great video of St. Faustina's visions of the afterlife. While her vision of Heaven is something so beautiful, her visit of Hell is so scary...

Pat, Bishop Clark (Rochester NY diocese where Leary resides) has pretty much denounced Leary. He believes in a 1000 year reign of Christ and told his readers not to obey the pope following JPII. This is not a good sign! Flee from this charlatan.

Quite right anon 13:35. John Leary's bishop dismissed his "locutions" as being of human origin. Any alleged prophet who teaches millenarianism should be ignored - it is heresy. See Desmond Birch's commentary on Leary's errors at the link below:http://www.catholicprophecy.info/jleary.html

A correction about my previous comment about Christ as king of Poland. Much of the media get it wrong and my own post was not entirely correct either. Christ has not been enthroned as the king of Poland, he already is the king of the universe. Also, the term "king of Poland" has not been used." What has happened is that Christ's dominion over Poland has been acknowledged. These details are important because it is important to get it theologically correct. The polish bishops has thought about it.

It is interesting that this happened in the last days of the year of mercy. Terrible things might happen in the year 2017. The servant of God Rozalia Celakówna saw that Germany and other nations in western Europe will be destroyed, but Poland will survive.

The Bayside prophecies 1970-1995, www.tldm.org click: 'Coming events on mankind' (right side of home page) has all the clues we need: there is a sequence we need to study to ascertain the truth. 1) the 'WARNING' 2) the 'MIRACLE' (Garabandal)-flaming CROSS, 3) Chastisement (WW3,& Comet) Jesus said: (paraphrase...) "the time is ripe for the 'Warning' when you see the holy Father fleeing Rome". Study the Messages and you will discover also the miraculous photo taken showing the dates: Jesus said the photo is a puzzle for mankind to figure out.-- the photo- 'Jacinta 1972' which has the dates of the Warning and Chastisement-- hidden in the figures and lines--also reveals that the Antichrist entered Rome in 1972. I will explain to anyone at Jesusphoto@yahoo.com other bayside sites are www.ourladyoftheroses.org www.smwa.org www.rosesfromheaven.com www.tldm.org www.Jesusphoto.info (after tomorrow) Don't let anyone discredit Bayside; JPII blessed it, a bishop has granted an imprimatur, there are countless miracles attesting to the validity. the world trade center bombing was predicted on the exact day, Sept. 11, 11 YEARS before on 9/11/1990...9/11/2001 other clues: the 'great cold' at the onset of the chastisement, mysterious plague removing the children, revolution in Western Germany, revolution in Italy, monetary crash, etc.. this is the truth! Pray about what you discover...listen to the actual prophecies recorded during the apparitions on mp3 (Bayside Prophecies, left side of home page) www.tldm.org click 'Directives' and print--give to priests and bishops & everyone. check out my miraculous photo taken in 1971 www.Jesusphoto.net ..the HOLY FACE

These solar eclipses are interesting signs. But I've always thought that the Ninevites repented, because they must have heard from the sailors that Jonah had drowned to death. People would be far more likely to listen to a prophet if he has returned from the dead.

Also see afterthewarning.com for current messages from Our Lord and Our Lady from various visionaries around the world. The messages are both comforting in speaking of God Our Father's love and desire for us to open our hearts to him for our salvation and also warn how we must spiritually unite ourselves to him in prayer, remaining in the state of grace, to stay "in peace" as the hard times approach soon. I urge everyone to read these messages as they come out every few days and pray for discernment and guidance from your guardian angel and St. Michael the Archangel. Our Blessed Mother says messages that only provoke fear are not from God. I believe these messages are valid from their heavenly content and are meant to help us prepare ourselves to be faithful no matter what, trusting that all is in God's plans for the salvation of all who turn to him in repentance and love. We are strengthened by the messages for our own good and so we can pray for all those who don't know to pray for themselves and for peace in the world. Keep praying the rosary daily, as Jacinta of Fatima said "Tell everyone to pray for peace to the Immaculate Hear of Mary for it has been given to her". Through all our cooperation in this request. we shall become victorious with her when Her Immaculate Heart Triumph's in the end over evil through the Eucharist Heart of Jesus's reign being established throughout the earth after he casts all the evil one worlders into hell after the 3 and one half year reign of the antichrist separates the goats from the faithful sheep of His Flock. Keep a supply of food, water clothes and backpacks on hand so that if the warning takes place in our time, you will be ready to be called to go to safe refuges to be safe from the foreign and FEMA troops who will be in place then to take those who do not obey martial law to death detention camps. Just remain in the state of grace and prayer to your guardian angel and he will guide you to the refuges.If it doesn't happen just thank God everyday we have been granted more of a reprieve through the prayers and weekly fastings of the faithful throughout the world since Our Lady starting asking them to do so in her messages throughout various places in the world to help prepare us for these times and to help mitigate them with our penance. Keep praying (and reading)! Jesus is listening! Love, Pat

I've been hearing a lot of skepticism from people regarding the fact that there are no known fault lines under New York City. The key word here is "known." Geologists tell us that the deeper the epicenter, the more damaging the earthquake. Due to something that happened in 1978, when I was still living in New York, I suspect that there is a VERY deep fault line under the city. There was an earthquake in Brooklyn. It wasn't very big; it rattled the dishes in my mother's cabinet. I was at work in Manhattan at the time; my mother called me there immediately after the quake to ask if we felt it there. (We didn't.).In another post above, someone pointed out a prophecy that says that the new Babylon will be split into three. I suppose I'm picking nits here, but this statement piqued my interest. New York City consists of five boroughs; four of them are on islands. So does this indicates that one of the islands will be split? Or that the mainland portion will break off? .Yes, I know, it's pouncing on minuscule details; I have a tendency to do that. I won't be surprised if no one responds to this comment. ;D

Rather unfortunately the path of the 2017 eclipse also passes over Yellowstone and ties with the Nostradamus C6 Q97 quatrain - "At forty-five degrees the sky will burn....In an instant a great scattered flame will leap up".Spooky, huh?

Considering the fact that Yellowstone is sitting in the caldera of a supervolcano (dormant now for thousands of years), that prediction is not that far-fetched. That said, however, which Nostradamus are you talking about? There are a few; one of them is known for many, many prophecies, most of which were collected in a book that I started reading in the 1970s. My father told me that that the writings of that particular Nostradamus used to be on the Index, back when there still was an Index. So I tend to take any prophecy with the name Nostradamus attached to it with a about a ton of salt. ;D

As far as banning the Italian person's posts...I don't think they're spam. I don't understand much Italian, but I can make out enough to suspect that he may be attempting to comment on Emmett's blog with something having to do with the pedophilia scandal. Maybe someone can run them through a translating service? (Don't know how to use them myself, or even how to find them.)

The day Noah's flood started, the 17th day of the month of Iyyar falls on May 13, 2017. That is the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.

On the 29th of Av please see: http://www.aish.com/dijh/Av_29.html

Av 29

In the Hebrew year 2448 (1312 BCE), Moses carved the second set of Tablets out of sapphire, as recorded in Exodus 34:4. After seeing that the Israelites had made the idolatrous Golden Calf, Moses broke the first set of tablets (Exodus 32:19) and God then instructed Moses to carve new tablets. (The Midrash says that Moses was allowed to keep the extra scraps of sapphire, and from that he became personally wealthy.) The second set of tablets was placed in the Ark of the Covenant, along with the first broken set. This second set symbolizes the ability of every person to make amends and rebuild anew. In fact, it was on the day of Yom Kippur that Moses came down from Mount Sinai holding the second set of Tablets, and it is on every subsequent Yom Kippur day that we have a special opportunity to make amends.

Thanks for sharing that Carlos. That's very interesting! After writing this article, I subsequently discovered that 40 days after the date of the solar eclipse on 21st Aug, 2017, brings us right up to the feast of Yom Kippur between 29th-30th Sept, 2017. This of course ties in with the words of the Prophet Jonah:"40 more days and Nineveh will be overthrown" (Jon 3:4). The symbolism of the feast of Yom Kippur is quite prominent in the Third Secret of Fatima. The sprinkling of the blood of the martyrs by the two angels at the close of the vision parallels the sprinkling of the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant by the Jewish High Priest on the Day of Atonement, outlined in Lev 16:"And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins." (Lev 16:14-16)

Thank you for your response Emmet. In my "correction note I missed the right date for a second time (I'm sure you noticed.) It is with ref. to your mention of August 21, 1917 which coincides with the 29th of Av. It is very hot here in Buenos Aires and one gets confused –that's my excuse– The New Yorker has also published an article (which I just became aware of and I haven't read complete) about a possible failure of the Mosul Dam. please see: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/02/a-bigger-problem-than-isisIn a separate note: it is also suggestive that "ISIS" irrupted in the scene, coincidentally using the name of the ancient pagan moon goddess. God allowing, I will be re-reading your article several times this weekend. It is very good.

Thanks Carlos! You are lucky to have such an excuse! It's freezing here in the northern hemisphere! I thought that it was that date you meant.The possible failure of the Mosul Dam has been of some concern to me since those alleged apparitions in Iraq in 2015, which took place in the town of Alqosh.http://unveilingtheapocalypse.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/the-recent-marian-apparitions-in.html

This was the homeland of the Prophet Nahum, who also prophesied the destruction of Nineveh. So it is definitely noteworthy.

About Me

As part of research for my book Unveiling the Apocalypse: Prophecy in Catholic Tradition, I studied the Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic languages before graduating in 2006 with First Class honours. My book is the product of around ten years of original research. This blog is intended as a means of supplementing the material presented in the book by providing relevant up-to-date information.